Nortrax Canada Becomes the Wirtgen Group Dealer for Ontario
Effective January 1, 2019, Nortrax Canada Inc. became the distributor of Wirtgen Group products for Ontario. Nortrax has been serving the Ontario market for more than 40 years performing as one of John Deere’s top construction dealers.

In the immediate future, Nortrax will deploy a focused team dedicated exclusively to the sales and support of the Wirtgen Group products. This group of Wirtgen Group specialists includes industry and product experts as well as technicians and parts personnel who understand the business and the sense of urgency required to support the Road and Mineral Technology markets.

“Everyone at Nortrax is absolutely delighted to represent and be able to offer Wirtgen products to our customers. Wirtgen’s superb reputation of market-leading products and their legacy of technology and innovation has helped many customers succeed in the road construction industry. We at Nortrax take pride in this opportunity and will make sure this success continues with our dedicated support teams,” said Michael Rugeroni, Nortrax Canada Inc. vice president.

The addition of SME’s low-voltage motors and inverters, which are primarily designed to meet the evolution of electrification in off-highway equipment, significantly expands Dana’s electrified product portfolio.

“Dana’s acquisition of SME enhances our ability to address the electrification and hybridization needs of our customers, while also increasing the potential for incremental content per vehicle,” said Jim Kamsickas, president and CEO of Dana. “SME’s exceptional electric motor and inverter products, which largely support off-highway applications, are highly complementary to the technologies we acquired with TM4, which are predominately focused on light- and commercial-vehicle applications.”

“Dana is equipped to provide complete e-Propulsion systems that balance the demands for performance, power density, and weight,” said Christophe Dominiak, chief technology officer for Dana. “The addition of SME’s low-voltage induction motors rounds out our already robust offering of high-voltage permanent magnet motors and enables us to deliver a complete range of electrified solutions for our customers.”

Dana’s existing portfolio of Spicer® Electrified™ with TM4® motors and inverters combined with SME’s low-voltage motors will expand the company’s capabilities to applications ranging up to 250 kW.

The privately-held SME Group employs more than 100 people and operates in China, Germany, Canada, and Italy.

Dana’s electrification capabilities will be further strengthened by the anticipated acquisition of the Drive Systems segment of the Oerlikon group, enabling Dana to provide products for a broad range of hybrid and electric-vehicle configurations.

Cost-Overruns and the Fragile Economics Beset Hydro Mega-ProjectsCost-overruns at several large-scale hydro projects in Canada raise questions about the economic viability of continuing construction to completion. In “Dammed If You Do: How Sunk Costs Are Dragging Canadian Electricity Ratepayers Underwater” author A.J. Goulding argues that government decisions to make such large investments in hydroelectric generating capacity must be scrutinized for economic soundness – particularly relative to the costs of alternatives for producing the power.

Canada has several large hydroelectricity projects presently under construction all of which have ever-increasing estimates of projected total cost: Site C on the Peace River in northern British Columbia at $10.7 billion, Keeyask on the Nelson River in Manitoba at $8.7 billion, and Muskrat Falls on the Churchill River in Labrador at $12.7 billion.

This study examines the cost-effectiveness of these hydro projects by comparing the costs of equivalent generation from carbon cost adjusted combined cycle natural gas turbines (CCGT). The analysis demonstrates that the levelized costs from the Site C and Keeyask projects may exceed the costs of alternative CCGT generation. The study notes that risks of building large generation capacity in anticipation of uncertain future demand for electricity and contends that, relative to large hydro projects, the roll-out of CCGT generation can be more flexibly timed (and paired with environmental initiatives) to meet demand as it materializes.

“Even if we build-in the costs of cancellation the present economics would still favor cancelling Site C and replacing the respective energy with equivalent dispatchable CCGT generation capacity, supplemented by offsets to meet environmental goals,” said Mr. Goulding.

While an emphasis on renewables generation has motivated these major hydroelectric projects, the analysis shows that Site C exceeds the levelized cost of a CCGT alternative that faces a $50/t carbon price. Moreover, drawing from results in recent renewable energy procurements, the study observes that wind generation, albeit intermittent, can provide a much lower levelized cost of zero-emission electricity than such large-scale hydro projects.

This study concludes by recommending that provinces re-examine the economics of these projects and consider cancelling projects which have more cost effective alternatives. To avoid uneconomic projects in the future, the report also recommends strengthening institutional independence – in particular, by ensuring independent regulatory review for mega-projects and leveraging greater private-sector discipline for the design and delivery of major electricity projects.

New Production Targets Capability Enhances Daily Field PerformanceB2W Software has delivered a new B2W Production Targets capability that empowers heavy construction contractors to assess job progress more accurately at any given point in time.

Using B2W Production Targets, contractors can easily set specific, variable targets for expected productivity according to the conditions, plan and resources for each individual day. Without this capability, daily targets are typically set by averaging projected productivity from the estimate evenly over the duration of a job or job phase. The averaged targets, however, can present a distorted impression of job progress on a given day or series of days when compared to actual production data.

In a simplified example of the advantages of this new B2W Production Targets capability, a contractor planning a 5-day highway paving job requiring 4,500 t of asphalt could set differing daily targets to account for limited productivity based on slower shoulder or on/off ramp work over the first 2 days, and much higher production at the end of the week for mainline paving. The variable targets would allow a more accurate assessment of job status versus plan each day.

Relying on an average target of 900 t/d instead could present an inaccurate impression that the job was behind schedule over the first 2 or 3 days.

“Contractors are pushing for better data to make more informed decisions in the field, and this kind of accurate, timely data on job progress versus plan is at the top of their list,” said B2W Software founder and CEO Paul McKeon. “Using B2W Production Targets and electronic field logs, they get the right data every day, so they can make timely adjustments to keep jobs on schedule and budget. Leaders and employees in the field tend to excel when they know what their immediate goals are. Accurate production targets give them the goals that ultimately determine profitability on a daily basis and in a simple format,” he explained.

B2W Software clients can now use current versions of the B2W Schedule solution for resource scheduling and dispatching and/or the B2W Track solution for field tracking and analysis to implement B2W Production Targets. Users can set variable daily targets in electronic field logs, and B2W Track then allows them to enter actual productivity in the field for comparison to the targets in real time.

Schneider Electric Connects the First Container Ship to Shore Power Electrical at the Port of VancouverVancouver Fraser Port Authority has selected Schneider Electric Canada Inc. to develop a solution to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG), air emissions and noise from ships docked at Centerm Container Terminal.

The result is a Schneider Electric EcoStruxure Platform design that delivers an intelligent implementation of a worldwide standard for shore power. This allows docked ships to shut down their engines and be powered using a “plug-in” electrical shore power connection. Shutting down the engines helps to reduce air pollution. The shore power capability also qualifies a ship for the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s EcoAction program, providing discounted harbor dues and the opportunity to be recognized with a Blue Circle Award. The system was successfully commissioned and connected to the first ship on October 15, 2018.

The shore power solution is operated by DP World Vancouver. The standards-compliant system was designed and commissioned by Schneider Electric Canada Inc. and PBX Engineering of Vancouver, and installed by Houle Electric. The solution relies on clean electricity from BC Hydro to power the ships, which allows them to shut down their diesel engines.

New Work Trucks and Equipment Rolling Out at The Work Truck ShowMore than 100 companies have already announced plans to introduce new work trucks and equipment at Work Truck Week 2019.

The Work Truck Show, North America’s largest work truck event, will be held March 5-8 at in Indianapolis, Indiana. Educational sessions, Green Truck Summit, Fleet Technical Congress and Manufacturer and Distributor Innovation Conference begin March 5, and the exhibit hall is open March 6-8.

There is no better place to see what is new and what is coming from the industry’s leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Chevrolet Commercial Vehicles, Ford Commercial Vehicles, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, Freightliner Trucks, Hino Trucks, International Truck, Isuzu Commercial Truck of America Inc., Kenworth Truck Company, Mack Trucks Inc., Mercedes-Benz Vans, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America Inc., Nissan Commercial Vehicles, Peterbilt Motors Company, Ram Commercial, Volvo Trucks and Western Star Trucks will exhibit at the event, with 15 of them also delivering exclusive chassis update sessions. During each update session, company representatives provide insights into their future plans related to the work truck industry, share technical information on latest chassis specifications and designs, and review body and equipment installation options. Ford, FCCC, Freightliner, International, Mack, Mitsubishi Fuso, Nissan and Ram also scheduled press conferences at the Show.

To help attendees plan which booths to visit, 90 exhibitors are showcasing new products online in advance of the event as part of The Work Truck Show’s exclusive New Product Spotlight and Green Product Showcase programs. Offerings range from transmissions and suspensions to trucks and bodies. They include a variety of innovative power solutions, cargo management systems and vocational equipment from snowplows to cranes.
If it goes in or on a vocational truck – or helps an upfitter install equipment – you can find it at the Show.

“Every year at The Work Truck Show, the industry’s leading manufacturers of vocational vehicles, components and equipment converge on Indianapolis to showcase their newest products and share what’s coming next,” says Steve Carey, NTEA president & CEO. “With all the major players here, The Work Truck Show is the best place to take the pulse of the commercial vehicle community and find the equipment and education you need to continue to improve your operations.”

The Work Truck Show main exhibit floor covers more than 46,500 m2. The event includes a robust educational conference with sessions designed to help attendees improve their operations. Anyone who works with commercial vehicles, including public and private truck fleet operators, manufacturers, dealers and equipment distributors, can find solutions to their business challenges at the Show.

ISRI2019: Where Recyclers Build RelationshipsISRI2019 offers the opportunity to engage with 5,000 recycling professionals from around the world. Recycling is a relationship business. Your business depends on opportunities to meet new vendors, new customers, and new colleagues. ISRI2019 gives you more opportunities than any other place to network with events scheduled from before dawn to late into the evening.

See for yourself why the ISRI2019 show out does any other when it comes to networking:

ISRI’s Exhibit Hall is the Grand Central Market for recycling.

Commodity receptions each afternoon to help you meet consumers and other players in specific commodity areas.

Morning fun runs and workout sessions help get you energized while meeting other like-minded attendees.

After-hour events on Tuesday and Wednesday let you keep the conversation going long into the night.

ISRI2019, the world’s largest annual gathering of scrap recycling professionals, will be held April 8-11, in Los Angeles, California.

DEUTZ Showcasing New D1.2 Engine at World of ConcreteDEUTZ Corporation exhibited its growing, versatile line of engines at the World of Concrete show, held January 22-25, 2019 in Las Vegas.

“World of Concrete is a very important show to us for many reasons,” said Steve Corley, chief sales officer for DEUTZ Corporation. “This show has a reputation for showcasing the very best concrete and masonry products and equipment to the many professionals who depend on them for their livelihoods, day in and day out. And, it presents us with the opportunity to demonstrate our newest engines to an international audience.”

This year, at World of Concrete DEUTZ presented its D1.2 engine, a new member of the company’s under-25 hp range. Initially available in the Americas, the D1.2 is designed to better meet growing number of customers who want to efficiently power machines like aerial platforms, welders, trenching equipment and mini skid-steer loaders, as well as equipment for lawn and garden and pump applications.

DEUTZ has entered into an MOU for the D1.2 with Kukje Machinery Co., with the mutual intent for both parties to sign a long-term agreement for this engine and another new model, the D1.7, in early 2019. Both will be DEUTZ-branded and fully supported by the DEUTZ service network.

Visitors to the DEUTZ booth could also see the company’s TCD 2.9, TD 3.6 Power Pack, TCD 16.0 and D2011 Xchange engines on display.

“The D1.2 is a simple, cost-effective, mechanical engine that meets the latest emissions regulations both here in North America and in the EU,” said Robert Mann, DEUTZ Corporation president and CEO. “Meanwhile, the other power solutions we’ve have on display further demonstrate the fact that DEUTZ continues to provide one of the broadest product lines in the industry.”

For more than 150 years, DEUTZ engines have supplied customized, cost-effective power to a broad array of machine types and market segments. The 9-millionth DEUTZ engine was produced in 2015.

KIOTI Tractor Expands Presence in CanadaKIOTI Tractor, a division of Daedong-USA, Inc., continues its commitment to the
compact equipment industry in Canada with the opening of a new distribution center in Mississauga, outside of Toronto, Ontario. The approximately 5,500 m2 of office and distribution space will reduce shipping and delivery times
for KIOTI's Canadian dealers and increase support for end users.

The new distribution center represents KIOTI's confidence in the future of its brand in the Canadian market. This local presence will expand upon KIOTI's North American distribution network by strategically placing assembled inventory and parts supplies in a key market, ready for expedited delivery to dealers. Longer term, this facility will support the planned growth of KIOTI's dealer network – making product and parts availability and simplified logistics a reality for both current and future dealers across Canada.

"At KIOTI, we are committed to delivering outstanding service to our growing network of dealers," said Peter Dong-Kyun Kim, president and CEO of Daedong-USA, Inc. KIOTI Tractor Division. "This expansion illustrates that commitment, and will allow us to provide unmatched availability and delivery of products to our Canadian dealer partners and customers."

This Canadian expansion follows a US$13 million ($17.3 million), 15,000 m2 warehouse expansion and nearly 1,400 m2 office
addition to KIOTI's North American headquarters in Wendell, North Carolina.

"After 30 years of consistent growth in North America, we are pleased with the progress we have made in 2018 on
expanding both our North American headquarters and establishing our new Canadian operation," said Anna Kim, chief
operating officer. "In Canada, specifically, KIOTI seeks to create a positive economic impact on the greater Toronto metro
area, which will begin by employing several full-time individuals in the distribution center in the near future."